The fastest way to move everything at once

The simplest path is Quick Start, a built-in tool that copies almost everything from your old iPhone to your new one while they sit next to each other. Turn on your new iPhone, hold it near your old one, and a setup screen appears on the old phone asking if you want to set up the new device. Tap yes, scan the animation that appears on the new phone with your old phone's camera, then enter your Apple ID password. The phones then transfer your apps, photos, messages, contacts, calendar events, and settings automatically — you do not have to pick and choose.

Quick Start works best when both phones are plugged in and on the same Wi-Fi network, because the transfer can take 30 minutes to several hours depending on how much data you have. If your old phone's battery is low, plug it in before you start. If the animation on the new phone will not scan properly, you can enter your Apple ID password manually instead — the result is the same.

One thing Quick Start does not copy: text messages from before you set up iCloud on your old phone. If those messages matter, you will need to back up your old phone first, then restore from that backup on the new phone (see the section below on restoring from a backup).

Key Takeaways

  • Quick Start copies apps, photos, messages, contacts, and settings by holding your phones next to each other and scanning an animation — no cables needed.
  • If Quick Start does not work or you want to move data to a phone you already set up, restore from an iCloud backup instead.
  • Before you trade in or sell your old phone, sign out of iCloud and erase it completely so the new owner cannot access your accounts.
  • Text messages, notes, and reminders only transfer if they were synced to iCloud on your old phone before you started the move.
  • If you use a third-party email app like Gmail or Outlook, your email does not transfer — you have to sign back in on the new phone.

Moving data when you already set up the new phone

If you already turned on your new iPhone and did not use Quick Start, you can still move your data by restoring from a backup. First, back up your old phone: go to Settings, tap your name at the top, then iCloud, then iCloud Backup, and tap Back Up Now. Wait for the backup to finish — you will see a checkmark and the date it completed.

On your new phone, go back through the setup screens until you reach "Apps & Data." Tap "Restore from iCloud Backup," sign in with your Apple ID, choose your old phone's backup from the list, and wait for the restore to finish. This copies the same data as Quick Start: apps, photos, messages, contacts, calendar, and settings. The restore can take an hour or more depending on your internet speed and how much data is in the backup.

If you have already finished setting up the new phone and do not want to start over, you can still move some data manually. Photos and videos sync automatically if you turn on iCloud Photos in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Photos. Contacts, calendar events, and reminders sync the same way through iCloud. Email, notes, and reminders only sync if they are linked to your iCloud account — if you use Gmail or Outlook, you have to sign back in on the new phone.

Moving specific types of data manually

Photos and videos: If you do not want to use iCloud Photos, you can plug your old iPhone into a computer and use the Photos app (on Mac) or File Explorer (on Windows) to drag photos into a folder. Then plug in your new phone and drag them back. This is slower than iCloud but gives you control over which photos move.

Messages: Text messages, iMessages, and group chats only transfer through Quick Start or iCloud backup — there is no manual way to move them. If you need to save specific conversations, take screenshots or use the Share button in the Messages app to email them to yourself.

Notes: Notes sync through iCloud automatically if you are signed into the same Apple ID on both phones. If a note is not syncing, open it, tap the three dots at the top, and check that "Notes" is turned on in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud.

Passwords and payment methods: These move through Quick Start and iCloud backup, but you may have to re-enter your Apple ID password and confirm your payment method on the new phone for security reasons. This is normal and expected.

What does not transfer automatically

Some data stays on your old phone and does not move no matter which method you use. Third-party apps like Gmail, Outlook, Slack, and banking apps do not transfer your login information — you have to sign back in on the new phone. The apps themselves transfer if you use Quick Start or restore from backup, but your accounts do not.

Text messages from before you set up iCloud on your old phone will not transfer. If you turned on iCloud backup recently, only messages from after that date are included in the backup. Photos and videos you deleted from your old phone do not transfer unless they are still in the Recently Deleted folder (which keeps them for 30 days).

Health data, activity rings, and workout history only transfer if you were using the same Apple ID on both phones. If you are switching from someone else's old iPhone, that data stays behind. Home app settings and HomeKit data transfer, but you may have to re-authenticate some smart home devices on the new phone.

Erasing your old phone safely before you sell or trade it in

Before you hand over your old phone, you have to erase it completely so the new owner cannot see your photos, messages, or access your accounts. Go to Settings, tap General, scroll down and tap Transfer or Reset, then tap Erase All Content and Settings. Enter your Apple ID password when prompted — this is a security step to prevent theft. The phone will erase completely and restart to the setup screen.

If you cannot remember your Apple ID password, you can erase the phone without it, but the new owner will not be able to set it up — it will be locked to your account. If you think you might want the phone back later, do not erase it yet. If you are certain you are done with it, erasing is the safest choice.

After erasing, you can also remove the phone from your Apple ID account to be extra sure. Go to appleid.apple.com on a computer, sign in, click Devices, find your old phone in the list, and click the X next to it. This removes it from your account so it cannot receive your calls or messages by mistake.

Troubleshooting when data does not transfer

If Quick Start stalls or fails, make sure both phones are on the same Wi-Fi network and that your old phone has at least 20 percent battery. If the animation will not scan, tap "Enter Manually" and type your Apple ID password instead. If the transfer still fails, restart both phones and try again.

If you restored from backup and some apps did not come back, those apps may have been deleted from the App Store or may not be compatible with your new phone's iOS version. You can search for them in the App Store and read them again. If you restored and your messages are missing, check that iCloud backup was actually turned on during the backup — go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Backup and look at the date it shows.

If your email, contacts, or calendar are not syncing after the transfer, sign out of iCloud on the new phone and sign back in. Go to Settings, tap [Your Name], scroll down and tap Sign Out, then sign back in with your Apple ID. This usually fixes sync problems.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move data from an Android phone to an iPhone?

Not through Quick Start or iCloud backup — those only work between iPhones. Apple offers a separate "Move to iOS" app for Android phones that transfers contacts, calendar events, photos, and some app data. read it on your Android phone, open it during iPhone setup, and follow the prompts. Email and third-party apps still have to be set up manually.

What if my old phone is broken and I cannot turn it on?

If you have an iCloud backup from before it broke, restore from that backup on your new phone instead of using Quick Start. If you do not have a backup, you will lose any data that was not synced to iCloud — photos, messages, and notes only come back if they were backed up. This is why regular backups matter.

Do I need Wi-Fi to transfer data between iPhones?

Quick Start can use Bluetooth and a direct connection between the phones, so you do not strictly need Wi-Fi, but the transfer is much faster with Wi-Fi. If you are restoring from an iCloud backup, you need Wi-Fi or cellular data to read the backup from Apple's servers.

Will my old phone still work after I transfer everything to the new one?

Yes, until you erase it. After you transfer, your old phone still has all its data and apps. You can use it as a backup or give it to someone else, but if you sell or trade it in, you must erase it first so the new owner cannot access your accounts.

Can I transfer data to multiple new iPhones from the same backup?

Yes. You can restore the same iCloud backup to as many phones as you want, and they will all have the same data. However, if you make changes on one phone (like deleting a photo or editing a contact), those changes sync to all the other phones through iCloud, which can be confusing. Most people restore a backup to one new phone and then erase the old one.